Update to 10.68 and now can't Open my HD in Finder? Seriously??

Question

Level 1

20 points

Update to 10.68 and now can't Open my HD in Finder? Seriously??

Problem: When I click on the desktop icon for my Hard Drive, a window for the contents-view fails to open - there is a

brief flash of what appears to be an attempt to open but it doesn't 'resolve'. I just noticed that after a few 'tries' it sometimes

gives me a window. Obviously this isn't right...

Recent History abt. this machine - I migrated contents of one -running 10.5.8 to another Imac which had been functioning normally with SL 10.6 on it.

I went through the Setup Assistant routine - i.e. wiped the previous install of 10.6 and then reinstalled SL using the one-time Setup Assistant feature

to migrate the other machine's stuff over to this one. After doing so, I've noticed this behavior. Flaky finder.... and also a noticeable lag and glitchy

issues in using an audio interface application that is USB-based but that's another subject. As a main recording studio unit, this finder weirdness

has to be cleared up asap or i need to go back to the old machine with Leopard - which at least didn't have this instability.

Any ideas, thoughts, fixes or acknowledgements of known issues - greatly appreciated...

Thanks!!

Mike

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jan 16, 2012 6:11 AM

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Answer 1

Király

Level 6

10,017 points

Jan 16, 2012 11:07 AM in response to MIKEinMICH

The Finder problem might be due to a bad cache or preference file. Do you have the same problem when logged in to a different user account?

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Answer 2

MIKEinMICH Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 16, 2012 11:28 AM in response to Király

Hi, i believe we're configured for just one user account as i am the sole user and there's only

the option for log-in under my identity alone. THanks,

Mike

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Answer 3

Király

Level 6

10,017 points

Jan 16, 2012 11:43 AM in response to MIKEinMICH

Make another account. Try it out. Let me know what happens.

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Answer 4

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Jan 16, 2012 11:44 AM in response to MIKEinMICH

Create a new admin user for testing purposes. Might try applying the 10.6.8 Combo.

http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1399

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Answer 5

MIKEinMICH Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 16, 2012 4:38 PM in response to Király

thanks, i have to go back and recreate another account for Administrative priveleges...I am getting denied access to all kinds of things with the new user account i created as "Standard" user...(shows me as a first-time-user for many apps and permissions denied when attempting to record audio to the hard drive.... I'll adjust and try again...

One thing that is quite annoying - native icons for certain apps are no longer displayed under 10.68 vs 10.58...

Someone suggested I turn off "Show Icon Preview" for any folders i use to see if that would resolve it but it does not. I tried to apply that rule to the whole HD, btw.. Hopefully that wouldn't have caused a finder or other System prefs folder to get corrupted(?)

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Answer 6

MIKEinMICH Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 16, 2012 4:39 PM in response to WZZZ

Hi, will give the 'other user' thing a try - I did do the 10.6.8 update when i reinstalled the OS last week btw so this is going on after doing the reinstallation and combo update. Thanks!

Mike

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Answer 7

MIKEinMICH Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 16, 2012 4:56 PM in response to MIKEinMICH

Okay, I can say, right off the bat - something's faulty - I'm seeing garbled display and glitchy Finder Window behavior when I open my HD window under the 'second user' identity.... Any suggestions on how to resolve

whatever is going on - idealy without any reinstall..? So far not finding a great deal of improvement in SL ...

never an issue with 10.5.8 like this- and i got to see all my file apps in their native icon appearance vs generic

Apple Itunes labels for any music file created in a specific pro audio application..... but first and foremost, hoping

to get to what is causing this fragile Finder situation. Help greatly appreciated as always,

Mike

PS, just decided to run Disk Utility. ETA of 12+ minutes of Repairing Permissions has been invoked - it wound up finishing up in about two minutes and

processed alot of Java Support files (?) Maybe a couple hundred... Dunno if this has anything to do with the Finder stuff but i suspect not... Definitely

seeing this sort of 'lag time' on stuff like a simple open-the-Window command...as if there's a conflict of some sort.

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Answer 8

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Jan 16, 2012 5:17 PM in response to MIKEinMICH

I don't know about a couple hundred -- that sounds excessive -- but we all get those Java repairs whenever repairing Permissions.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1448?viewlocale=en_US

You might want to see if running Applejack will help. Be sure to do the underlined. Some of this will be redundant, since you've already done Permissions repair. But no harm.

Download:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/applejack/

Article on using:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10334620-263.html?tag=mfiredir

It runs in single user mode, where it runs more safely than other maintenance/cleaning programs because there is less chance of interference from the OS. After installing (you won't see it in the Applications Folder) hold CMD-S at startup. You will get a black screen with MS-DOS like text. Just follow the prompts: type in "applejack AUTO" and it will run through the following:

Correct any Disk problems.

Repair Permissions.

Clear out Cache Files.

Repair/check several plist files.

Dump the VM files for a fresh start.

Trash old Log files.

You can also run tasks selectively and for specific users by typing in "applejack." After running in "AUTO," you can go back and run it again as "applejack," steps 3 & 4 only, for your user.

The first reboot will take much longer than usual, as it rebuilds caches. It may take several restarts to see the benefits. Because of the deep cache cleaning in AUTO mode some applications may tell you they are being opened for the first time.

NOT YET UPDATED FOR LION (although it is reported by some that it is working)

(Adapted from post by BDAqua)

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Answer 9

MIKEinMICH Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 16, 2012 5:47 PM in response to WZZZ

Appreciate the reminder about AppleJack. I think i exaggerated...it probably just ran through the normal amount of 'routine' Java repairs that occur each time. That said I still wonder what might be going on with the Finder/HD Window issue....don't think Disk Utility did anything to resolve it. I know it was simple in the days of beloved OS 8/9 to just trash prefs files but presumably it's far more complicated to do so under OSX if there is a problem with a corrupted component of the System causing the instability... Anything I can try without having to reinstall a whole OS again?

Thanks!

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Answer 10

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Jan 16, 2012 5:50 PM in response to MIKEinMICH

AJ might identify corrupted pref and cache files for your user.

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